“One Event, One City”: Promoting the Loyalty of Marathon Runners to a Host City by Improving Event Service Quality

Xiaoying Chen, Brian H. Yim, Ziqing Tuo, Liangjun Zhou, Ting Liu and James J. Zhang
Additional contact information
Xiaoying Chen: Sport Media School, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
Brian H. Yim: Department of Foundations, Leadership and Administration, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA
Ziqing Tuo: School of Leisure Sport and Management, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
Liangjun Zhou: School of Leisure Sport and Management, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou 510500, China
Ting Liu: Department of Political Theory, Guangdong Vocational Institute of Sports, Guangzhou 510663, China
James J. Zhang: Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: China has entered into a new developmental phase where the government can promote national fitness, the sports industry, and city tourism, simultaneously. Rapidly becoming the largest single sporting events in China, marathon events help facilitate this integration. However, event organizers tend to focus on winning bids for events instead of improving event services and increasing the loyalty of runners to the host city, which could benefit the city for sustainable development. In this study, the antecedents affecting marathon runner loyalty to the city hosting the annual hallmark event (i.e., destination loyalty) were investigated by studying a sample of 392 repeat runners during a recent HengQin International Marathon (HQ-M). Conducting structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses, the proposed model, integrating event service quality (ESQ), destination image (DI), satisfaction (SAT), and destination loyalty (DLOY), was confirmed. Nine hypothesized paths were identified among these four constructs, including six direct paths and three indirect paths. Meanwhile, mediation effects and serial mediation effects of DI and SAT between ESQ and DLOY were found. Good ESQ, positive DI, and high SAT were found both separately and collectively to enhance DLOY and have important implications for the strategic marketing of sporting events and sustaining city brand image.

Keywords: event service quality; destination image; satisfaction; destination loyalty; host city; repeat runners; integrated model; HengQin; marathon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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